White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt forcefully pushed back Wednesday against Rep. Jamie Raskin and coverage from MS NOW, accusing both of advancing what she described as a politically motivated narrative built on shaky ground.
Speaking during a press briefing, Leavitt dismissed a letter Raskin sent to Attorney General Pam Bondi as a “cheap political stunt,” arguing it relied on unverified claims tied to Special Counsel Jack Smith.
The exchange began when Real America’s Voice correspondent Brian Glenn asked whether the White House had a response to Raskin’s letter, which alleged that the Justice Department mishandled sensitive information related to President Donald Trump and his retention of classified documents.
Leavitt did not hold back.
She said Raskin has “zero credibility” and accused him of amplifying “untrue and salacious claims” drawn from a memo produced by Smith. According to Leavitt, the material cited by Raskin was never included in a formal indictment because it lacked verification. She also pointed out that the indictment itself was ultimately dismissed, framing the broader investigation as part of what she characterized as a prolonged effort to target Trump politically.
Leavitt went further, accusing Smith of conducting a “witch hunt” and attempting to prosecute Trump ahead of the 2024 election with the backing of the Biden Justice Department. She described the episode as an example of so-called “lawfare,” suggesting that legal mechanisms were used for political ends rather than impartial justice.
The press secretary also took aim at media coverage of the story, singling out MS NOW for reporting on Raskin’s claims. She suggested that other outlets declined to pursue the story after being contacted, while MS NOW moved forward, which she said reinforced its role as “left-wing propaganda for the Democrat party.”
At the center of the dispute is reporting by MS NOW, which cited newly released case records tied to Smith’s investigation. According to that report, investigators believed Trump retained highly sensitive documents after leaving office in 2021, including materials connected to his global business interests. The report also claimed that Trump allegedly showed a classified map to individuals on a private plane and possessed at least one document so restricted that only a handful of officials were authorized to view it.
Raskin echoed those claims in his letter to Bondi, accusing the Justice Department of concealing key details about Trump’s handling of classified materials. He wrote that the evidence suggested a president who “may have sold out our national security to enrich himself.”
Leavitt rejected that characterization outright, portraying the entire episode as a coordinated political attack rather than a substantive national security concern.
The clash highlights a familiar divide in Washington, where competing narratives often emerge around high-profile investigations. On one side are allegations of serious misconduct; on the other are claims of partisan overreach and selective leaks designed to shape public opinion.
As the debate continues, the underlying tensions point to a broader issue: how political battles, amplified through media and official channels, can overshadow clear answers. In moments like this, the line between accountability and political theater can become increasingly difficult to distinguish—leaving the public to sort through competing claims in an already polarized environment.
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